Paul Bernon: Dating Bethenny Frankel!

It was only days ago that Bethenny Frankel confessed to accidentally texting her late boyfriend. Sometimes, letting go of a lost loved one is impossible.

Fortunately, it looks like Bethenny is finally managing to move on — with a new man in her life.

But who is her new man, Paul Bernon?

TMZ reports that Bethenny Frankel was recently spotted holding hands with what was initially a mystery man.

Bethenny was spending time in Boston, and she was spotted holding hands with and then kissing a taller gentleman by the name of Paul Bernon.

TMZ noted that their PDA included a makeout session near Boston College, which sounds like as good a place as any.

(If you’re determined to kiss while in public, that is)

It is, of course, wonderful to see Bethenny moving on with her life after this summer’s heartbreak.

But … who is this dude?

Paul Bernon is a businessman and film guru.

He has two degrees.

Paul obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Studies at the very same Boston University where he (almot) was for his PDA with Bethenny.

He earned his Masters degree in Real Estate at New York University.

Needless to say, those are two very different fields of study.

Paul is a cofounder and partner in a Los Angeles.-based film finance and production company, Burn Later.

His films include Drinking Buddies, whch starred Olivia Wilde and Anna Kendrick.

Another film, Best Kept Secret, earned him a Peabody Award.

Many people know of Paul as a filmmaker and aren’t even aware of his other ventures.

But when we say that he’s a businessman, we’re not kidding.

It is reported that Paul obtained his first shopping center by the age of 24.

He is currently a managing partner for Rubicon Real Estate, LLC.

Rubicon Real Estate owns and manages various investment properties in New England, Texas, and Utah.

Speaking of New England, he resides within the greater Boston area.

It seems likely that Bethenny may have been in town especially to see him.

Paul is active politically, and is a member of the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee.

What’s more exciting is that he is a board member as well as a co-founder of the Creative Council at EMILY’s List.

(EMILY’s List is a wonderful political organization and it’s especially encouraging that he lends his efforts to a pro-women group)

Us Weekly reports that Paul shares two children with his ex-wife.

Paul and Ashley Bernon divorced in September of 2017.

It looks like Bethenny isn’t the only one in the relationship who might be said to be “moving on.”

It is wonderful to hear that Bethenny is taking this careful next step in her life, two months after such a tragic loss.

Perhaps she has found closure in the death of her late on-again, off-again boyfriend, Dennis Shields.

Even though his death was officially ruled inconclusive, his loved ones seem to have accepted that this was a tragic drug-related death, whether an overdose or interaction.

Now, they are all healing in their own ways.

That Bethenny is dating again is not a sign that she loved him any less.

Finding new joy is what any good person would want for their loved ones.

View Slideshow: Bethenny Frankel: Quitting The Real Housewives of New York City Over Dennis Shields’ Death?

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Bethenny Frankel: I Can"t Stop Texting My Dead Boyfriend!

Back in August, Bethenny Frankel’s boyfriend, Dennis Shields, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 51.

Sources close to Frankel say the former reality star and business mogul is “absolutely devastated” by Shields’ passing and often feels as though she may never recover.

Despite her grief, Frankel has opened up about Shields death and shared several touching tributes to her late partner:

“It’s hard to breathe,” Bethenny tweeted shortly after Shields’ passing, “and I appreciate you giving me the space & support to try to do so.”

In the weeks since Frankel broke her silence, she’s been refreshingly candid in sharing details of her mourning process.

This week, she revealed to fans that she’s having such a hard time adjusting to life without Shields that she still finds herself attempting to contact him by phone.

“I just accidentally sent Dennis a text,” she tweeted on Saturday.

“It was about him to my bff. That was odd.”

Frankel’s tweet prompted an outpouring of compassion, with many assuring the Real Housewives of New York alum that Shields is still watching over her.

“No he heard you,” wrote one fan.

The supportive environment prompted Frankel to detail a second eerie incident:

“Something else very weird happened,” Bethenny tweeted.

“I was texting w one of his friends and it said ‘handwritten text’ and read ‘hurry the f—k up’ but neither of us wrote that nor do we even know how to hand write on a text. How bizarre?”

Again, fans were quick to offer their belief that Frankel maintains a strong connection to Shields despite the loss of his physical presence.

“He’s still listening, babe,” one fan suggested.

“Oddities happen for a reason, sometimes.”

A source close to Frankel tells Us Weekly that even though her relationship with Shields was relatively brief, Frankel feels forever connected to her late boyfriend:

“She lost her best friend, her partner, her business partner,” says the insider.

“He’s family. His family is her family.”

The source went on to say that Frankel is continuing to dedicate herself to her business ventures, as she sees value in staying busy during such a difficult time:

“She is living her life because there is nothing else to do,” the source says.

“You have to go on. Everyone experiences loss and the only thing you can do is pick yourself up and go on.”

We wish her all the best as she continues to cope with this painful loss.

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The Real Housewives of New York Season 10 Episode 22 Recap: Bethenny Frankel vs. Carole Radziwill

It was the end of the line for Bethenny Frankel and Carole Radziwill on The Real Housewives of New York Season 10 Episode 22, as the two women admitted it was time to move on. 

Radziwill was quick to reveal that Bethenny’s harsh comments about her in the confessionals were too hurtful to move on from. 

“The season made it over for me,” she told Frankel on Wednesday’s finale.

Watch The Real Housewives of New York City Season 10 Episode 22 Online

“When you watch the confessional interviews, I’m seeing what you said about me. About not having a job, not having a husband…”

“I didn’t understand until I watched the show and I realized I was really, really trying to salvage our friendship and you didn’t seem that interested,” Radziwill continued. 

“And I only can imagine because you knew what you had said at all those confessional interviews.”

“I was trying all season to come back from this,” Radziwill said of Bethenny’s comments. 

“At the end, I was like, ‘Thank god we’re done with this season. Thank god we can go back. We can just regroup.’ And then I started watching the show…”

All of the above suggests that Radzwill was on board for another season of the Bravo hit, but it looks like things changed once she watched the season back. 

Bethenny’s comments “made me sad but also angry,” the departing cast member said.

For Frankel, Radziwill was just as bad what with her blog post and Instagram live to bash Bethenny. 

“The season would not have made it over,” Frankel said. “The bashing with the blogs and the bashing with a friend made it over. … It was really mean.”

Bethenny continued to claim that Carole had changed and that was the reason for the dunking of their relationship. 

“You’ve changed too,” Radziwill fired back. “You’ve become catty and gossipy. I didn’t change.

With this being Radziwill’s final episode, she did open up about her biggest regret: Not patching things up with Frankel. 

“My regret was that Bethenny and I could never get to a place where… I thought maybe by the end of the season we would be speaking and then reconnect,” Radziwill said.

“Because that friendship was important to me. And that never happened.” “I wish that we had had some kind of conversation so we could have put it into context,” she added.

“It was just hard. I tried. That’s my regret, that I failed.”

At the top of the episode, Carole got into it with Andy. He was furious that she said he was “full of shit.” 

Andy has the power to hire and fire on this franchise, so he was likely shocked at the way she spoke to him. 

Carole claimed Andy was scared of Bethenny Frankel, to which he replied:

“Yeah, I’m scared of her.”

It was ridiculous, but the most telling moment was Andy asking Carole about her regret from the season.

“Is yours telling me I’m full of shit?” he said with a serious look on his face. 

Could this be the REAL reason Carole is out of the series? 

As for the way this reunion concluded?

Tears. Lots of tears. 

Bethenny turned to look at Dorinda upon being asked what her biggest regret is, and said the following. 

“My biggest regret of the season is if I did say, ‘a drunk’ — because you and I heard it the same way when we saw it on TV — but if I called you ‘a drunk,’ I regret saying that to you on television.”

“Thank you, Bethenny,” Dorinda replied while crying. “That actually means a lot.”

“But I will say for the record, in the moment, we both heard it: ‘You’re drunk,"” Bethenny added. “But anyway, I own what was on the show, and that’s fine, and that’s my regret.”

“Um, I think — that actually means a lot to me,” Dorinda said, pointing at Bethenny. 

“It’s so stupid — it’s at the end of the show,” Dorinda continued, before meeting Bethenny for a hug. “It means the world to me.”

“I tried to be as compassionate as I could while I was there,” Bethenny replied. “And I saw it, and I was like, ‘Oof,’ you know? I really did.”

Dorinda then admitted she could not answer, and Andy moved on to Tinsley. 

She admitted that she was mad at herself for shouting “Shut your mouth and shut your f–king legs!” at Sonja. 

Sonja claimed she also regretted “opening that wound” with Tinsley. 

And that’s another season in the can!

What do you think of the conclusion?

Hit the comments below. 

View Slideshow: Bethenny Frankel: Quitting The Real Housewives of New York City Over Dennis Shields’ Death?

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Carole Radziwill Doubles Down: Bethenny Frankel is a Bully!

In real life, Bethenny Frankel is mourning Dennis Shields, both in private and in public. On the The Real Housewives of New York City reunion, however, she’s been facing off against her frenemies.

Carole Radziwill accused her of bullying her now that they’re no longer friends.

Some RHONY fans took issue with her accusation, and Carole took to Twitter to defend herself. Who is right?

Towards the end of The Real Housewives of New York City Season 10, Episode 21, ex-friends Bethenny and Carole did a postmortem on how their friendship ended.

“What she does is, she creates this narrative, this false narrative about me,” Carole accused. “This false narrative that I’m some girl who’s this, this and this.”

“It’s completely false,” Carole said as she aired her grievances. “Half of it is lies.”

When Bethenny interrupted, Carole said: “Are you going to continue to bully me, or am I going to be able to speak?”

Multiple times, Carole doubled down on her accusation that Bethenny is a bully who has been bullying her.

“Let’s stop using the word bully,” tweeted a fan. “These women are getting paid a lot more of money to be on this show. It’s a choice.”

The fan points out that, in contrast: “When children are getting bullied in schools or People for being different are harassed. That’s bullying.”

Carole replied … and shared that she disagreed.

“I get your point but don’t belittle what is happening here,” Carole wrote in her tweet. “[Obviously] I can handle it but kids need to know…..mocking someone and talking over a person is an intimidation technique. I.e. Bullying 101.”

“If they learn to stand up against that,” Carole wrote. “The bully won’t be quick to escalate it.”

But fans weren’t letting Carole off of the hook.

“You need to think carefully about the word bully,” a fan tweeted. “You haven’t been bullied at all. You both don’t like each other. You both said hurtful things. Move on.”

The fan cautioned Carole: “Don’t undermine others that have had their lives ruined by bullying by saying what has happend with you and Bethenny is bullying.”

“No I disagree,” Carole wrote. “We need to call out even the smallest infractions as bullying. Only this way we can change the dynamic.”

Carole continued: “Just like the #metoo movement is calling out ALL inappropriate actions. Men will pause next time they reach for a girls shoulders to rub. Change happens slowly.”

Fans remained unconvinced, and continued to try to explain to Carole that bullying refers to a specific dynamic between perpetrator and victim.

“So where’s the power differential in this situation?” tweeted a fan. “Where’s the intimidation? Where’s the fear? Where’s the helplessness?”

Carole is a rich white woman who is related to royalty. Her potential pool for who could conceivably bully her is pretty narrow.

“She has a choice,” wrote another fan. “Bullied people don’t have a choice. It was an argument between two friends that aren’t getting along right now.”

This is a very complicated topic. A lot of terms — especially buzzwords — get thrown around and then misused until they’re all but meaningless.

Most people would look at two former friends who are no longer again and say that they are feuding. One says cruel things about the other? That’s feuding.

In contrast, the only Muslim kid at a middle school isn’t “feuding” with some mean kids on his bus. A gay child isn’t “feuding” with the classmates who tell him to hang himself.

At the same time, is the definition of bullying as narrow as these fans suggest? Perhaps there are different types of bullying.

Language is complicated, and both the literal meanings of words and the connotations of those words can evolve over time.

View Slideshow: Bethenny Frankel: Quitting The Real Housewives of New York City Over Dennis Shields’ Death?

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Bethenny Frankel: Will She Quit The Real Housewives?!?!?

Bethenny Frankel may star on a reality show.

She may even be the most famous Bravo reality star of all-time.

But the Skinnygirl entrepreneur was hit with a dose of actual reality just a few weeks ago when her long-time boyfriend, Dennis Shields, died of an accidental drug overdose.

As cliche as it may sound, this tragedy has understandably put things in perspective for Frankel.

And sources now say she may make a drastic decision in the wake of this loss.

Scroll down to find out what we mean and also to learn what Bethenny"s fellow Housewives have been saying about her of late…

1. Her History on the Show

Frankel was hired as a Housewife in 2010 and starred on the program’s first four seasons. She then left for her own spinoff and returned in 2014 in time for Season 7.

2. Her History with Dennis Shields

Frankel and Shields started dating in 2016. The romance was up and it was down, but it was also serious enough that marriage was at least a topic of conversation at times.

3. And Then Shields Died

On August 10, Shields was found dead in his New York City apartment.

4. Bethenny Pays Tribute

Frankel shared the above photo on Instagram after Shields passed away and wrote: “Rest In Peace my sweet babies who gave me endless unconditional love.”

5. So… Now What?

Now Frankel may move on, realizing that a life spent stirring up fake drama for the sake of ratings is no life at all. “Bethenny has spent over a decade fighting and partying on the Real Housewives,” a source tells Radar. “Everything she did was to make herself famous. She even had her wedding televised! But after the death of her boyfriend, she’s telling friends that she’s going to quit the show.”

6. Yes, It’s All Fake. And That Has Taken Its Toll.

“She’s sick, absolutely sick of spending hours thinking up things to say to upstage other cast members… And of rehearsing nasty ‘zingers,"” adds this insider.

View Slideshow
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The Real Housewives of New York Season 10 Episode 20 Recap: Bethenny Frankel vs. Her Co-Stars!

It was Bethenny Frankel vs. her co-stars on The Real Housewives of New York Season 10 Episode 20, and it made for one of the most explosive reunions in franchise history. 

Ramona Singer, Dorinda Medley, and Carole Radziwill joined some sort of clique before the taping and vowed to take Bethenny down. 

It was bizarre, and Frankel struggled to get a word in edgeways. It got so bad that Andy Cohen had to jump in to shut the ladies up. 

“I wanna hear her f***ing answer and then you can respond!” Andy yelled at the ladies because he wanted to hear how Bethenny’s answer was going to pan out.

“‘Don’t say I’m f***ing fake with your fake t**s,” screamed Ramona who was tired of Bethenny looking down on her. 

“Ok,” said Bethenny in a somewhat subdued response as Sonja Morgan leaped to her defense.

“And what are Ramona’s? One hundred percent real?” Sonja quizzed. 

“I had them when I was 55, she did them when she was 30,” said Ramona in one of her silliest responses to date. 

“Ok, well they’re both fake,” Sonja confirmed. 

At one point, Andy revealed that former cast member, Jill Zarin emailed him to let him know that she was dating a man from Ramona’s past. 

“That’s true, we went on four dates,” Ramona insisted.

“I wasn’t even divorced yet; my foot was just in the pool of getting divorced. I wasn’t ready for a relationship.”

“Well that’s wild,” Andy revealed after not getting the response he expected.

The conversation then turned to Bethenny’s reunion with Jill following their huge falling out, and how it was filmed at Bobby’s funeral. 

Ramona said it was bizarre that Bethenny had the production crew up there. 

“We all went without really wanting to film it,” she continued. 

“I don’t wanna be filmed at Bobby’s funeral,” Dorinda barked. “Morbid. I want to be informed so I can avoid the cameras at a funeral.”

“Actually we were invited by Jill. We wanted to cover the funeral,” said Andy after he realized that the women were pinning everything on Bethenny. 

Ramona then claimed that Bethenny was on only “jumping out of the car to be on camera” with Jill. 

“Good. And I’m glad she did because I wanted to see that,” he said, snapping at Ramona. 

“It was a beautiful moment,” Sonja said, but it was not enough to appease the other women. 

“I didn’t really think it was a genuine thing. It just didn’t feel natural, someone had just died — you don’t use someone’s death to do this,” Ramona said after calling Bethenny “opportunistic.”

“Well that’s not how Jill feels,” Sonja responded.

“You know what the most important thing is? Jill was happy,” said Bethenny.

“It’s not about Ramona. Jill was so happy, so you should be so happy for her.”

Bethenny did not want to have lunch with Jill just yet, and Dorinda had the most perfect response:

“I guess no cameras.”

“That makes sense,” said Carol while grinning from ear-to-ear. 

“Whether you guys like me or hate me is irrelevant, I am very grateful, and the people are grateful, thank you for donating,” Bethenny said of the people who helped her relief efforts in Puerto Rico. 

“You create animosity with all of us,” Ramona yelled at her. “You just don’t support us. You don’t like to engage us or compliment us. And it’s really, really upsetting to us.”

“You’re very negative. You’re the mean girl, the bully.”

“You have only been nasty to me for years,” Bethenny barked back. 

Bethenny then opted to get personal and dragged Ramona’s business ideas, and why they did not make the show. 

“Oh my God, I can’t take her lies anymore! I may walk off for her lies! Oh my God,” Ramona screamed. 

“I put myself through college, unlike Bethenny who had a rich father who put her through college, had her own car… I’m self-made, OK,” said Ramona of her past. 

“I’m not terrible to you! Take a mirror; you’re such a bitch to me!” Ramona said after Bethenny claimed she was terrible to her. 

“You don’t have friends. You’ve lost her now,” Ramona said while pointing at Carole. 

Bethenny then took it upon herself to drag Carole:

“Can I just talk to her directly, woman-to-woman, is it possible, Carole? This isn’t very heated; we’re OK right now. We will call you when we need you.”

“Such a bitch,” Carole said to Andy. 

While Luann de Lesseps was not at the reunion, she was still being dragged through the mud.

“When a white person puts on an afro, and then you start bronzing the skin…” Andy said, adding: “Diana Ross didn’t even wear an afro.”

The conversation then turned to the excessive drinking shown on-screen for Dorinda throughout the season. 

“Of everyone here, the whole season I’ve been the one who has called attention to your drinking in a constructive way,” said Bethenny of the claims that she was the one causing all the drama. 

“It’s not constructive to call someone a drunk on television, Bethenny,” Carole interjected.

“It’s not constructive calling someone a narcissist multiple times on television, but that didn’t stop you from calling me one,” Bethenny yelled in response. 

“Do you think that you have a relationship with alcohol that is sometimes unhealthy?” asked Andy to Dorinda. 

To the surprise of everyone, Dorinda confirmed that she thought she had a problem, but said she can’t really handle alcohol. 

“It’s just denial,” Bethenny said. 

“I actually think I was suffering from a depression,” Dorinda said.

“I really didn’t know my place anymore, I had total empty nest syndrome, I was sort of down, and I was heavy — mentally, physically.”

Dorinda then said that she had to make some changes, and tried to implement them. 

“But it didn’t give, after that you were drinking in the morning,” said Bethenny. 

“I’ve spoken to you in the morning where you sound drunk and out of your mind,” said Dorinda. 

“‘I’m sure,” Bethenny responded. 

Yeah, that was one of the craziest episodes yet, but what will the second part bring? 

Hit the comments!

View Slideshow: 17 Stars Who Really Love the Real Housewives

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Jason Hoppy: Dennis Shields" Death PROVES Bethenny Frankel Is a Bad Mom!

If you thought that you hated Jason Hoppy before, when he was stalking and harassing Bethenny Frankel, you’re about to be even less of a fan of his.

Dennis Shields was found dead last week, and while Bethenny was mourning the loss of her ex-boyfriend, Hoppy and his attorney readied their move.

Hoppy is already trying to use Shields’ death to hurt Bethenny in court.

Us Weekly had an insider in court on Thursday, August 16, when Hoppy’s attorney brought up Dennis Shields in a disgusting attempt to cast doubt on Bethenny’s qualifications as a mother to the couple’s 8-year-old, Bryn.

“It was reported that he died of an Oxycodone overdose,” Hoppy’s attorney reportedly said in the courtroom.

You can immediately see where this is going. Ugh.

Hoppy’s attorney continued: “Our concern is while his death is very sad, this raises serious concerns about Ms. Frankel’s parental judgment.”

For the record, Dennis Shields’ final words revealed that he had mixed ordinary medications that may have had a deadly interaction, but that’s the least of the problems with this argument.

“Dennis Shields spent a great deal of time with Bryn,” Hoppy’s attorney asserted. “And even cared for Bryn at times when Ms. Frankel wasn’t around.”

Well, Shields was part of Bethenny’s life for a couple of decades and he also dated her. That’s normal.

“Considering Mr. Shields’ addiction,” Hoppy’s team argued. “What does that say about Ms. Frankel’s parenting that she would allow this person to care for her daughter?”

That is heavily loaded with assumptions about Shields’ health and unfounded prejudices against people who use prescription painkillers.

“This doesn’t just constitute a lapse in judgment,” Hoppy’s attorney claimed. “This was just downright dangerous parenting.”

This didn’t come up in court out of nowhere. Apparently, Hoppy’s team waited until things were going well for Bethenny before bringing up such a loaded attack.

“Bethenny, in Bryn’s best interest, asked for a new trial,” the courtroom insider reports.

“The minute the judge agreed to that today,” the source continues. “Jason’s side brought up the Dennis stuff.”

One wonders how long they waited after news broke of Shields’ tragic passing before preparing to use this as a weapon in court.

That said … we have to remember that attorney’s are sworn to zealously represent their clients.

The courtroom insider said that the judge noticed that this was quite an escalation.

The source shares: “The judge said now you’re throwing ‘grenades.’”

“Jason and his team were OK with Bethenny as a mom when they walked into the courtroom,” the insider reports.

That chagned when things stopped going their way, it seems.

“But then once Bethenny got what she wanted,” the insider describes. “They didn’t think the was a good mom.”

Hoppy’s team also tried to dredge up Bethenny’s The Real Housewives of New York City behavior, as if it reflected her skills as a parent.

“There was a recent episode in which she appeared to be intoxicated,” Hoppy’s team reportedly argued. “She was running around without clothes on and then she passed out and it was said she passed out from mixing Ambien with alcohol.”

Arguing that someone’s child-free behavior on a reality series disqualifies them from being a parent is usually a stretch, akin to confusing an actor with a movie role they played.

“Our concerns are whether Ms. Frankel may have some type of substance-abuse problems,” Hopps’ attorney had the nerve to say. “So we would ask the court to order drug testing of Ms. Frankel to find out whether that’s an issue.”

Outrageous.

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Bethenny Frankel: I"m Like the Mother of Dragons!

Important programming note:

The upcoming Real Housewives of New York Season 10 reunion special was filmed before Dennis Shields passed away.

This is important to note because the sneak peek featured here depicts nearly every cast member ganging up on Bethenny Frankel, something that obviously would not happen at the moment due to Shields" tragic passing.

(Shields and Frankel started dating in 2016 and remained very close up until the time he died of an accidental overdose; there was even talk that he had been thinking of proposing.)

In this clip, Ramona Singer tells the cameras she’s feeling relaxed and calm – although it seems as if this mood immediately once she hits the stage.

"Don’t say a f-cking thing, with your fake tits,” she yells at Bethenny early in the amazing preview.

“This is like Game of Thrones. I’m like the mother of dragons fighting multiple blondes,” Frankel says during the video.

When sharing a story with host and producer Andy Cohen in front of her fellow cast members, many of these women then slam her as a liar and scream in Bethenny"s direction.

When everyone keeps talking over each other, Andy goes off:

“I want to hear her f-cking answer,” he says.

Intense stuff.

Sort of scary stuff even.

At other times, Sonja Morgan and Dorinda Medley go head-to-head, making it evident that Bethenny is the only star with enemies on stage.

“I don’t get drunk and insult my friends’ vaginas,” Morgan awesomely yells at one point, to which Dorinda replies:

“Shut up, Sonja, keep your mouth shut.”

Anger is not the only emotion on display, however.

We also see women pay tribute to Jill Zarin’s late husband Bobby Zarin … but then they also question Bethenny’s motives when she chooses to attend his funeral.

(Bobby passed away in January, and despite Jill’s tense relationship with Frankel, entrepreneur still paid her respects in person.)

One more note before you click PLAY:

Luann de Lesseps was not present at the reunion due to her recent stint in rehab, but this absence will be addressed.

Part one of The Real Housewives of New York City reunion will air on Bravo Wednesday, August 22, at 8/7c.

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Bethenny Frankel Breaks Silence on Death of Dennis Shields

Bethenny Frankel has spoken out for the first time since her long-term ex-boyfriend was found dead of an apparent drug overdose.

As reported last Friday, Dennis Shields passed away as the result of what appears to have been over-consumption of the prescription pill Oxycodone, although we’re still waiting for an official report from the coroner’s office.

He was 51 years old.

Just two days before this tragedy took place, Frankel had talked openly on an episode of The Real Housewives of New York City about how she was planning to take a three-month break from her romance with Shields.

However, this installment was filmed many months ago.

A far more recent report alleged that Shields was planning to propose to Bethenny during their final dinner date, only to get the strong impression in the middle of this meal that she was uninterested in marriage.

The general point here, however, is that Frankel and Shields were a very serious item for a long time.

They started dating in 2016 and continually found their way back to each other in the years since.

In the wake of Shields’ passing, Frankel has now shared the following image on Instagram.

The snapshot features Shields in bed with Frankel’s beloved dog Cookie, who passed away in October at the age of 17.

“Rest In Peace my sweet babies who gave me endless unconditional love,” wrote Bethenny as a caption, adding the hashtah “#nowandforever.”

We’re not about to judge anyone for how he or she responds to death.

Everyone mourns in his or her own way.

However, some social media users out there were taken aback by Frankel’s initial statement here for three reasons:

ONE, the passing of a pet is very sad. But is it a little bit odd to compare this event to the passing of a human loved one?

TWO, could it also be considered inappropriate to share a photo of Shields in a semi-passed out state, considering he died of an overdose?

THREE, Bethenny’s caption says nothing about Shields with the exception of how he treated her, which comes across as a bit self-serving.

Conversely, some are saying, Dennis’ estranged wife, to whom he was still legally married when he died, posted the above picture of herself and Shields.

Among other tributes, she wrote the following:

To the love of my life- Dennis-I will miss you every day. Forever your legacy will live on in our children and our future grandchildren.

Your intelligence, humor and of course your good looks will forever be engrained in our family!

even though we did not live together, you still remained my best friend and my husband. You’re the best — always and forever!

Jill, Bethenny and many others attended a funeral for Shields in Long Island on Monday.

According to the New York Post, Shields knew something was very wrong last Friday morning and asked his assistant to give him Narcan, an emergency medication intended to reverse the effects of a narcotic overdose.

However, he lost consciousness before the medication could take effect and was pronounced dead a short time later.

May he rest in peace.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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Bethenny Frankel Is Heartbroken Over Dennis Shields" Tragic Death

Last week, Bethenny Frankel’s ex-boyfriend Dennis Shields was found dead of an apparent overdose.

The Skinnygirl founder and The Real Housewives of New York City star has not made an official statement yet.

But an insider describes how she’s responding to the sudden passing of her on-again, off-again boyfriend.

A source tells E! that Bethenny Frankel is not taking this well.

“This is really bad,” the insider admits. No death is good, but this one was especially sudden and therefore so much more shocking.

Bethenny’s is taking it hard, the source reveals, saying: “It’s dreadful.”

“She’s known him for over 20 years,” the insider reminds the world. That’s a lot of time and affection.

The source explains: “She’s heartbroken.”

As we told you last week when this crushing news broke, 51-year-old Shields was found dead by police in his Trump Tower apartment on Friday.

Law enforcement tried to revive him, but paramedics declared him dead.

The cause of his death, officially, remains under investigation.

However, it has been reported that Shields suffered from an apparent overdose.

In fact, it is said that his assistant administered Narcan but was unable to revive him.

Jill Schwartzberg Shields, Dennis Shields’ estranged wife, has made an official statement about his passing.

“Dennis’ family is devastated by this terrible news,” Jill says.

“He was a loving father,” Jill’s statement continues. “And friend.”

Jill makes a request: “We ask that the media respect our privacy during this time of loss.”

Of course. Estranged or not, this is a very trying time for everyone in his life.

Though Bethenny Frankel has yet to make an official public statement, some of her costars and erstwhile friends have come forward.

Taking to Twitter, Carole Radziwille mourned Dennis Shields‘ passing.

“I just heard the sad news about Dennis,” Carole wrote on social media.

It’s crushing news, even for those who were never a direct part of his life.

“He was a good man,” Carole affirms.

“My condolences to all his family and friends,” Carole continues. “So tragic.”

Though Carole and Bethenny are no longer friends, they were once close, so it only makes sense that Carole knew Shields well enough to grieve over his death.

Bethenny Frankel will probably make an official public statement in time, but it is more than understandable that she is taking time to grieve in private.

Just because someone is a public personality does not mean that they owe their fans to expose every piece of their raw feelings at any given moment.

When she is ready, she will put together the words and mourn his loss.

For now, she is experiencing a lot of unpleasant raw emotions and she has every right to sort through that in peace.

We wish his friends, family, and other loved ones the best as they deal with this senseless tragedy.

It is our hope that they can find peace and, eventually, closure. Sometimes, that’s the best thing that you can possibly wish for people who are mourning the loss of someone they care about.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2018: In Memoriam

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Bethenny Frankel Arrives for Boyfriend Dennis Shields" Funeral

Bethenny Frankel arrived at a Long Island cemetery Monday for a final goodbye to her boyfriend, who died Friday of an overdose. Dennis Shields was found dead in Trump Tower from an apparent oxycodone OD.   Law enforcement sources told us…

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Dennis Shields Nearly Proposed to Bethenny Frankel Before He Died: Report

Bethenny Frankel is yet to speak on the tragic death of Dennis Shields.

As previously detailed, the 51-year old died last Friday morning in his Trump Tower apartment, allegedly of an accidental Oxycodone overdose.

Shields had often been featured and discussed on The Real Housewives of New York City due to his long-term, on-again/off-again relationship with Frankel, arguably the most successful and best-known star in this entire Bravo franchise.

In fact, Frankel had only just talked about her romance with Shields on the last new installment that aired, telling Dorinda Medley that she was planning to take a 90-day break from the relationship.

But that episode was filmed many months ago.

According to Radar Online, Frankel and Shields were actually in a fairly positive place not long before the latter passed away.

So positive, in fact, that Shields was planning to propose to Frankel during the final dinner date they would ever have.

“He bought a ring and took her to dinner to feel her out and it became obvious to him that she’d never marry him and it left Dennis heart broken,” an insider tells Radar, elaborating about what transpired as follows:

“Bethenny could sense that he was going to ask her to marry him and it pushed her away. So he never took it out to propose but that was his purpose.”

Wow.

That really puts things in perspective, huh?

Frankel and Shields actually met over 30 years ago.

They remained in touch and starting dating in 2016, not long after Shields split from his wife and three years after Bethenny broke up with husband Jason Hoppy.

It’s not shocking, to anyone familiar with this up-and-down relationship, that Shields could see a serious future with Frankel, while she maintain major doubts over the years.

This doesn’t mean she didn’t feel very strongly about Shields, of course.

“He was hoping the time was finally right, but just as he got his hopes up he was shot down again, and that would be the last time sadly,” Radar writes of the aforementioned meal.

As we said, Bethenny has not yet commented on his passing.

However, Dennis was still legally married to his estranged wife, Jill, saying:

“We are all heartbroken. Dennis was, and will always be, the love of my life. His spirit lives on in our children. Please respect our family’s privacy at this time.”

She also Tweeted:

“Even though we did not live together, you still remained my nest friend and my husband. Not many people were able to grasp our situation but it worked for us.”

Finally, Carole Radziwill, Frankel’s former friend and occasional foil, expressed her shock and sadness on social media via the following message:

I just heard the sad news about Dennis. He was a good man. My condolences to all his family and friends. So tragic.

We send our condolences to Frankel and to anyone who knew Dennis Shields well.

May he rest in peace.

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